Three years in the making: NGU professor writes textbook
Alyssa Waller, Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of MaryAnn Solesbee.
MaryAnn Solesbee, a professor of education from North Greenville University wrote a textbook titled “South Carolina: Right Under Our Feet.”
“South Carolina: Right Under Our Feet” is produced by faculty/staff and students from North Greenville University.
Solesbee has been working on this book for three years and worked almost every day on the textbook.
The book for first graders has activities and badge assignments, while the teacher’s edition has the lesson plans. While she is finished with the textbook, she is still working on the glossary and the index.
Solesbee loves South Carolina history and children, especially young children.
Previously, she has written several other Sal and Amanda books, but those are for younger children.
The book follows the South Carolina Social Studies Standards. She has also included the English Language Arts Standards because the book helps first graders learn to read.
When Solesbee was a child, she enjoyed social studies. She even enjoyed teaching social studies when she taught elementary school. She wants students and teachers alike to love and enjoy social studies.
“South Carolina: Right Under Our Feet” focuses on history, geography, economics and government.
Solesbee has characters in the textbook named Sal, Amanda, their little cousin Sally and their Uncle Newt.
Solesbee created Sal and Amanda to represent the state as state ambassadors.
Solesbee said that when you are doing this yourself, you must get someone to do the layout and build a website.
She wanted audio to go with textbook since there are concepts that are very difficult, so the book will be better received as well as understood if the students can listen first.
MaryAnn Solesbee, author, and Tony Waters, illustrator, at a book signing for one of the historical fiction books in Charleston, S.C.
Solesbee also has an artist, Tony Waters, who has worked with her on all her books.
Waters does artwork for children’s books and is also a cartographer. She mentions that Waters is wonderful to work with.
Solesbee also has an editor to check her work, and she has someone building her site.
She is currently shopping around for a printer. Then, she will need to go through the process of having the book chosen for adoption by the state.
Then a time will come when she will compete with big publishing companies. Since has had help but is not a big publisher, she thinks of herself as David versus Goliath.
She contacted Andrew Stevens, assistant professor of mass communication at North Greenville University to work on the audio book for “South Carolina: Right Under Our Feet.”
Stevens was gracious to volunteer his time as well as the students’ time, which Solesbee said was a Godsend.
Solesbee mentioned the book has unique features and some features are about how the content is delivered with the characters telling the story. It is also written in a dialogue with the parts of each salamander graduated for reading level.
Sally’s is the easiest while Uncle Newt is the most difficult, with Sal and Amanda being in the middle.
The textbook also has audio to introduce the text for each lesson. Students read and reread using reader’s theater. Students also use “turn and talk” to answer questions with a partner.
Solesbee shared that when she was struggling to come up with Sal and Amanda, the Lord woke her up with Sal and Amanda “dancing in her head.” Then, she called Waters and went to Charleston.
Solesbee talked with Waters about what the characters looked like and Waters drew them out on a napkin.
Solesbee mentioned how she felt like they were co-creating with the Lord. Solesbee said God had opened door after door for this textbook.
One wonderful door was finding out about the media to assist her through Stevens. Solesbee said God reminded her of the power of stories in Matthew 13 recently. She said she gives God the glory for this delightful work.
Stevens had mentioned that the audio has been submitted and they are waiting to see whether or not it is adopted for South Carolina.
Stevens said the big story will be if the book is accepted.
Abby Nix, broadcast major at North Greenville University said that Stevens asked if some students were able to help with it. They recorded a sample of the first portion of the book in the studio on Adobe Audition.
The students sent it to Stevens, who edited it together and sent it to Solesbee. She liked it, so they recorded the rest of the book which was 80 pages.
Nix said it was really neat because there are four different characters and they all have a picture next to what the character is saying.
The students who helped record had to find pictures they were assigned and read what was next to the pictures. Nix voiced Amanda.
Nix got involved when she was walking by Stevens as he was printing out a sample, and he had asked her to read a line. Nix had to make her voice sound like she was younger.
Nix said it’s neat that little children will be able to hear her voice for years to come, which even though she finds it cool, she also finds it strange.
Nix also said it did not take long to record it, though it did take a couple of months because a couple of things had to be rerecorded.
They started in September or October, and Nix had to rerecord a line a couple weeks ago. Nix said they had some fun recording and behind the scenes.
Kasie Thomas, a broadcast major at North Greenville University also helped with the recording of “South Carolina: Right Under Our Feet.” She voiced the narrator, so she read everything else that was not one of the characters speaking.
Over time, Thomas would go into the recording room and just sit for an hour or so and read as well as record her voice for every page that the narrator was on.
Another person who got involved was Ashley Rosa, junior general studies major with a minor in theatre. She got involved because Stevens knew she used to be a theatre major.
Rosa voiced Sally the salamander. When she received the script, she practiced a cute voice on her own and would record her parts for the audiobook in the studio.
She said she really enjoyed working with Stevens on this project, and it was a lot of fun.
Rosa shared a thought she had about how it was really great to learn what goes into recording an audiobook and how things get cut and trimmed.
